


You're So Tense

by RedShirtWriter34567



Category: Laws of Attraction (2004), You Me and Him (2017)
Genre: Back Pain, Boyfriends, Cuddling & Snuggling, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, Hotels, M/M, Massage, Rock Stars, Sleepy Cuddles, Sleepy Kisses, Touring
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-21
Updated: 2020-07-21
Packaged: 2021-03-04 19:34:49
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,556
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25421731
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RedShirtWriter34567/pseuds/RedShirtWriter34567
Summary: John's back is starting to bother him again while they're touring. Thorne finds a way to ease his boyfriend's pain when they stop for the night.
Relationships: Thorne Jamison/John Helm
Comments: 9
Kudos: 22





	You're So Tense

Thorne stepped off the tour bus outside the hotel, sighing as he stretched his arms over his head, joints cracking loudly. They’d been on the road for over ten hours and he was grateful they’d finally stopped. Sometimes he got a little stir crazy being on the bus for so long. John and the others made it more bearable though. John, especially.

“Thorne, quit admiring the countryside and help with the luggage, will ya?” Jason called to him.

Thorne smiled and turned away from the hotel, jogging back over to the bus. Jason and the band were helping each other with their luggage, lowering it down the steps onto the sidewalk. They had a limit of a duffel bag, suitcase, and a backpack, as the cases for their instruments that usually stayed on the bus, except for John’s bass and Michael’s guitar. They usually took those into the hotel with them to practice more. 

Thorne grabbed his backpack and pulled up the handle of his suitcase. Zeke, Michael, David, and Jason had all their stuff and headed into the hotel. John was the last one off the bus. He had his backpack hanging off one arm and his bass case strapped across his denim-clad back. He smiled at Thorne as he stepped off the bus, but groaned as he knelt down to pick up his suitcase. 

“What’s wrong, babe?” Thorne asked. 

“Nothing,” John replied quickly. “I’m just tired. Long drive, you know.”

Thorne arched his eyebrows but said nothing. He slipped a hand into John’s squeezing and getting a smile from the bassist. They entered the hotel, leaving Trixie to park the bus. John was walking strange as well, almost limping. His face was tight with concentration and what looked like pain. 

“John, wait,” Thorne said before they reached the hotel’s entrance. 

His boyfriend stopped and faced him. Thorne set his backpack down and touched John’s face. 

“Are you sure you’re okay?” he asked. “You look like you’re in pain. You’re limping.”

John sighed. “It’s nothing. Really. It’s just my back. Playing the bass stresses out my back and shoulders, makes them ache and the muscles get tense.”

Thorne frowned softly and pressed his forehead to John’s. “Why didn’t you say anything?”

John shrugged and winced, closing his eyes. “I don’t know.”

Thorne’s hand drifted from John’s cheek to his left shoulder, He applied some slight pressure and his boyfriend groaned. Thorne could feel just how tense the muscle was under his clothes. They felt like wood.

“Sit down, baby,” Thorne told John quietly, guiding him to a nearby bench with their luggage. “I’ll get someone to help us with all this. You shouldn’t strain your back more.”

John nodded and set his stuff down, wincing as he rubbed his neck. Thorne went into the hotel and came back out with an employee pushing a luggage cart. They loaded it up, Thorne giving John a look when he tried to help. 

“We’ll go ahead and get checked in,” Thorne told the employee. “Do us a favor and bring the luggage up to room 306, yeah?”

“Of course, sir,” the man replied.

Thorne handed him a ten-pound note and gestured to John. The bassist stood up with a groan and took his boyfriend’s hand again as they entered the hotel and checked in at the front desk. Thorne grabbed their room keys and they entered the elevator. John leaned against the wall, and Thorne rubbed his back, making the bassist sigh and arch into the touch. 

“We’re almost to our room, love,” Thorne told him. 

John nodded, eyes closed as Thorne continued to lightly knead his back through his jacket. Once they reached their room, John removed his shoes and his jacket, then all but flopped onto the large bed in the corner. Thorne smiled and sat down beside him, rubbing his back again.

“Do you need anything?” he asked quietly. “Meds?”

John shook his head. “Meds don’t really help this kind of pain. I just need to relax for a few hours.”

“Take all the time you need, babe,” Thorne told him. “Rehearsal’s not till tomorrow morning anyway.”

John nodded and closed his eyes. It didn’t take long for his breathing to even out as he fell asleep. Thorne kissed his boyfriend’s forehead and got off the bed carefully. He took his phone out of his pocket and typed out a few messages, looking back at John, sound asleep. He still looked tense and Thorne licked his lips, feeling guilty for not noticing he was in pain earlier. An idea occurred to him suddenly, and he called down to the front desk, hoping they would have what he needed.

“John,” Thorne murmured, kissing his boyfriend’s head and stroking his back. “Wake up, love.”

The bassist groaned and opened his eyes. Thorne smiled down at him.

“How’s your back?” he asked, rubbing it lightly.

“Still sore,” John replied. “My muscles feel like bloody lead.”

“I think I can help you,” Thorne said. “Sit up for a second and take off your clothes.”

John raised an eyebrow. “All of them?”

“You can leave your underwear on if you want,” Thorne told him. “Tonight’s about easing your pain, not sex.”

John nodded and sat up, groaning through gritted teeth. He peeled off his T-shirt and unbuckled his belt, sliding his jeans down his legs to the floor. Thorne pulled back the covers on the bed.

“Lay down on your stomach again,” he told John.

The bassist obeyed and stretched out on his belly, arms wrapping around a pillow. Thorne removed his own shirt but kept his jeans on. He got onto the bed, straddling the back of John’s hips. His back was smooth and flawless, but Thorne could see just how tense the muscles were under the fair skin. He picked up a small bottle of oil he’d procured from the hotel spa downstairs and poured some onto his hands, rubbing them together to warm it up.

“You ready?” Thorne asked.

“Yeah,” John replied, squeezing the pillow tighter and resting his chin on it.

Thorne placed the bottle aside and placed his hands on the base of John’s spine. He hesitated for a minute before digging his fingers into his boyfriend’s soft skin. John groaned, his body tensing up again at first. Thorne leaned forward, kissing the back of his neck.

“Relax, love, relax,” he whispered.

John took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Thorne kneaded the spot for several minutes, applying just the right amount of pressure to coax the tense muscle to relax. He moved his hands further up John’s back, kneading his shoulder blades. The bassist groaned again, softer, his body relaxing into the mattress. Thorne could feel the sinewy muscles beginning to loosen under his touch. 

“God, you’re good at this,” John breathed. “Is this another talent of yours I didn’t know about?”

“Maybe,” Thorne said with a smile.

He kneaded the meat of John’s shoulders, thumbs digging into the smooth flesh, easing the knots away. He grinned when John moaned as he worked a particularly tough knot in his right shoulder. 

“You’re so tense, John,” Thorne said quietly. “How do you manage to hide this so well?”

“Don’t know,” John answered, his voice breathy and quiet. “Guess I never liked people fussing over me.”

Thorne snorted, digging his fingers into the base of John’s skull. His boyfriend melted against the bed with a moan, his lanky body going slack.

“Good?” Thorne asked with a laugh. 

“So’good,” John slurred. “Don’t stop.”

Thorne kissed the back of his head, relishing the scent of John’s hair and the sweet scent of the oil. He finished the massage and wiped the excess oil off his hands with a towel. He used a hot towel to wipe down John’s back, noticing how quiet he’d gotten. Thorne picked up a different bottle, this one a lotion and muscle relaxer. He wanted to make sure that John stayed pain free even as he slept. He massaged the creamy substance into the bassist’s skin. 

“You still with me, love?” Thorne asked.

John nodded. “Yeah.” He sounded blissed out and extremely relaxed. 

Thorne kissed his back and got off the bed, removing his jeans and cleaning his hands again with another towel. He got back into bed and pulled the covers over them. John rolled over, his brown eyes soft and sleepy. Thorne grinned at him and cuddled up to his chest. They exchanged lazy kisses until John fell asleep. Thorne smiled and fell asleep as well, nuzzling his face against John’s warm chest. 

The next morning, Thorne woke up early and felt long fingers carding through his messy hair. He grinned and rolled over, his head resting on the crook of John’s arm. The bassist smiled at him.

“Good morning,” he purred, kissing Thorne on the lips. 

“Morning,” Thorne replied. He caressed John’s cheek. “How are you? Your back still hurt?”

“I feel great,” John replied, nuzzling Thorne’s hair. “Thank you, love.” He kissed the rock star’s palm. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I’ve just never had anybody around to fuss over me or my health.”

“Well, I’m your boyfriend, John,” Thorne stated matter-of-factly. “That means I get to fuss over you and your health now.”

“Lucky me,” John said, eyes flashing as he smiled and kissed Thorne again.


End file.
